David Prejean, a 38-year-old former sergeant in the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, pleaded guilty today to assaulting a pre-trial detainee at the Iberia Parish Jail without justification—commanding his police dog to bite the man and striking him repeatedly despite no threat being posed. The attack occurred during a jail shakedown on December 6, 2012, and left the victim injured and betrayed by the very system meant to uphold justice.
According to court records, Prejean, assigned to the IMPACT Unit, responded to the Iberia Parish Jail for a routine cell inspection when detainee M.R. turned his head after being ordered not to. In response, Prejean violently threw M.R. to the ground, ordered his K-9 to bite, and punched the handcuffed inmate multiple times. Even after M.R. complied and posed no danger, Prejean allowed the dog to continue biting for several seconds before pulling it off. The assault was captured in part by jail surveillance and contradicted by corrections staff accounts.
Instead of reporting the incident truthfully, Prejean filed a falsified after-action report designed to cover up the unprovoked attack. He claimed M.R. resisted and lunged toward him—an assertion dismantled by video evidence and witness statements. The deliberate deception compounded the crime, demonstrating a pattern of corruption and abuse within a unit tasked with maintaining order.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division condemned the assault: “Every person in the United States, including those who are incarcerated, is protected by the U.S. Constitution. When the officers we expect to uphold the rights enshrined in the Constitution willfully violate them, the Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those officers and uphold the rule of law.”
U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook echoed that sentiment: “Law enforcement officers respond to dangerous situations and put their lives at risk every day to serve and protect the public. For this sacrifice they have our thanks and respect. Officers also have a moral and legal obligation to protect the civil rights of those in their custody. Those officers who willfully abuse prisoners in their care and violate their rights will be held accountable.”
Prejean, of Lafayette, Louisiana, will be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Dee D. Drell on May 18 in Alexandria, Louisiana. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Lafayette Resident Agency and prosecuted by Trial Attorney Tona Boyd of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the Western District of Louisiana. The plea marks a rare but critical win in the long fight against unchecked jailhouse violence.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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